I saw House of Flying Daggers this weekend. Despite the fact that I was watching it via projector on the wall of my friend’s apartment, I didn’t like it as much as Hero or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

All three of them have similar styles — the over-the-top, physics-defying fight scenes, gorgeous scenery, and tree fighting. But House of Flying Daggers just went too far. I couldn’t help making fun of it while we were watching, to the detriment of my friends’ enjoyment.

Near the end, there was one particular moment (it shouldn’t spoil anything to say it involved two daggers tied together) when I felt Yimou Zhang had jumped the shark. It was always hard with these movies to suspend disbelief, but House made it impossible.

That said, it was beautiful and fun to watch. Just know what to expect, else be disappointed.